FM rejects the pursuit of Russian energy.
It seemed as though Bilawal was optimistic that relations between Pakistan and the United States were moving in a positive direction with increasing engagement.
NEW YORK: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari emphasised that the administration was looking into other markets to address the “energy insecurity” the nation was experiencing when he said that Pakistan was not pursuing “discounted energy” from Russia.
In addition to hosting the G-77 and China Ministerial Conference, Bilawal, who is now in New York, also met with Amina J. Mohammed, the deputy secretary general of the UN, before giving a press conference here.
In a previous interview with the American television show “PBS Newshour,” the foreign minister spoke extensively about a range of issues relating to the internal and regional situations, in addition to the bilateral relations between Pakistan and the US.
In response to a query, Bilawal stated that Pakistan’s economy was struggling, specifically due to “energy instability,” but that the nation was not chasing discounted energy from Russia because any supply would take a very long time to arrive in Pakistan.
He said, “As far as Russia is concerned, we are not seeking or receiving any discounted energy, but we are confronting an extraordinarily terrible economic scenario, inflation, pump prices… we do have energy insecurity.” We are looking into other options for where we might obtain electricity, Bilawal said.
Bilawal was confident that improved dialogue was moving Pakistan-US relations in the right direction. “We are working together to improve business, health, and economic prospects, especially for women. Thus, Pakistan and the US are collaborating in a wide range of fields, he continued.
Bilawal responded that it was “certainly” possible for Pakistan to pursue economic agreements with China while still maintaining cordial relations with the US.
“Pakistan and China have a long history of connections, and both of these neighbours actively cooperate, especially on the economic front,” he continued.
However, we also share a long-standing bond with the United States. And throughout history, the United States and Pakistan have collaborated, and I firmly think that every time we did, we succeeded in doing so. And each time a gap has grown between us, our relationship has deteriorated.
The concept that Imran Khan, the leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), could win if early elections were scheduled in Pakistan was rejected by the foreign minister. In response to a query, Bilawal answered, “He wouldn’t win. “I think there’s a misperception regarding Mr. Khan’s popularity on social media,” the author says.
In relation to Imran’s successes in the by-elections, the minister claimed that the PTI leader resigned from positions that he had previously held. He continued by saying that the PTI was “falsely portraying winning by-elections in his own seats as some type of testaments to his popularity throughout Pakistan.”
In response to a different question, he emphasised that Pakistan’s democratic achievement over the past ten years had been the completion of each successive parliament’s five-year term. Therefore, he continued, there was no logical reason to deviate from that tradition simply because Imran Khan had not served as prime minister for the previous six months.
We “shouldn’t repeat the mistakes of the past,” he told the interviewers, adding that Pakistan had been urging the international community to interact with Afghanistan. Pakistan, he continued, will also urge the Taliban to honour their obligations to the world community, to their own people, and to everyone else.
The foreign minister later told a news conference in New York that there was “irrefutable evidence” that India was involved in the bombing of Lahore last year and he urged the international community to prosecute those guilty for terrorism in Pakistan.
He claimed that Chinese nationals were being targeted in Karachi and that Balochistan was also being inflamed by foreign forces. He emphasised the need to prohibit external funding for and training of terrorist organisations. He responded to a question by saying it was completely incorrect to attribute terrorism to the Muslim world.
Foreign Minister Bilawal earlier urged the Group of 77 and China to take the initiative in promoting systemic and structural changes to revive sustainable global growth in developing countries for their recovery from multiple crises. He was speaking as the host of the G-77 and China Ministerial Conference.
In his opening remarks, Bilawal stated that “the developing countries that continue to experience the severe effects of climate change must be assisted, urgently and generously, to recover from these impacts, even as we begin work on operationalizing the Loss and Damage Fund agreed upon at CoP27 [summit in Egypt].”
To reach an agreement on the “urgent and emergency measures required to assist the developing countries to address the immediate issues of food, fuel, and finance which they currently confront,” a ministerial summit was organised in New York.
The Covid-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, skyrocketing costs, declining currencies, disasters brought on by climate change, and geopolitical tensions like the Ukraine crisis, according to the foreign minister, have all devastated developing economies and communities over the past three years.
“About 250 million [people] are hungry; millions are plagued by famine; 82 of our members [states] are at risk of going into default on their debts; and 54 are in serious financial trouble. Financial austerity will halt their development and increase hunger and poverty on a larger scale. To escape the poverty trap, we must map out a plan, he stated.
Additionally, we must compel affluent nations to shoulder the cost of mitigation and achieve net-zero emissions well before 2050. Additionally, we need to provide avenues for private investment in high-caliber, long-lasting infrastructure in emerging nations. In the meantime, Bilawal urged international cooperation for Pakistan’s long-term post-flood rehabilitation and reconstruction plan as well as an efficient follow-up on pledges and promises in a conversation with UN Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed. The “Loss and Damage Fund” should be operationalized as soon as possible, he demanded.
The G77 and China’s leadership roles, as well as Pakistan’s support of developing nations, were valued by the deputy secretary general. She committed to collaborating closely with Pakistan to implement the comprehensive rehabilitation and reconstruction plan in response to the devastation caused by the floods.
